This is perhaps one of my most favorite sites. Located on the Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire, Jigger Johnson is one of those great sites that has close proximity to plenty of hiking, exploring, swimming and isn't too far from the hustle and bustle of North Conway. I really enjoyed the sites here, and the showers weren't bad for a government owned campground. The sites are decently sized, we fit three good size tents on ours.

Blackberry Crossing Campground is a first-come, first-served White Mountain National Forest campground just west of Conway, NH on the Kancamagus Highway. It’s an old CCC base from the 1930s and there’s evidence of it’s former life all around, with chimneys and foundations in the center of the main loop. It’s small, with only 26 sites. The small loop to the right runs parallel to the Kanc, so you’ll get more highway noise there. There are some walk-in tent sites toward the back of the campground. It has been a very wet spring with a lot of rain and snowmelt and this open, walk-in area showed the effects. The tent sites are spaced around the perimeter, at the edge of the woods, but they’re in an open field. The middle of the field was very wet, but the tent sites themselves were elevated and dry.

I was in site 12A, next to the hand pump for water. Vault toilets were a campsite away. There is a small stream running behind the campsite and trillium were starting to bloom. Like most WMNF campgrounds, the sites are large and generally level. Site 12, next door to mine, is probably least attractive, because it has a large slab covering most of the site and it’s right next to the vault toilet. This campground is smaller than the nearby Covered Bridge Campground (also WMNF), so there are fewer people to make noise. The campground host was friendly and available, offering to delivery firewood ($7) to my site for me.

Prices have gone up from what the website states; it’s now $25/night. If you have a second vehicle, you’ll pay an additional $5. If you want a shower, you’ll need to hope that Passaconaway Campground is open for the season and be prepared with quarters (it wasn’t this weekend in mid-May, but Franconia Notch State Park is if you’re in that area). Bring cash to pay.

If you’re looking to get out and explore, the Champney Falls trailhead for the hike to Mt. Chocura is a few miles west of the campground, but get there early to beat the crowds. Other fun, family friendly areas to explore include the Lower Gorge, Rocky Gorge, Sabbaday Falls, and Potash & Hedgehog Mountains. I was out driving early and encountered a young moose crossing the road. Consider stopping at the Ranger Station at the beginning of the Kanc (from either end) to pick up a parking pass so you don’t have to pay the iron ranger at each spot if you’ll be driving around a lot. If it’s summer and you need to cool off, there are many places to go tubing on the Saco River.

If you’ve forgotten anything or need to fill the car up before you drive across the scenic Kanc, you’ll find it in Conway, just a few miles north of the junction of the Kanc and 16.

Aftershokz Trekz Air headphones

As a Ranger for the Dyrt, it’s my privilege to test different gear and provide a review. My AfterShokzTrekz Air bone conduction headphones arrived and I was anxious to check them out. Let’s just say, I’m in love. Like any partner, there’s a lot of good along with a few negatives that I’m willing to overlook. The Trekz Air have been my constant companion for the past month. Right out of the box, I turned them on, paired them with my phone with ease, and was listening to my audiobook in a minute or two. Also in the box was a smooth, zippered, waterproof storage pocket that held the USB charging cord and some foam earplugs in a plastic holder. It’s large enough that I could easily store a portable battery pack in the pouch, too.

The packaging doesn’t contain clear instructions about how the headphones are supposed to fit, but there are online videos that I watched just to be sure I was wearing them correctly. The headphones slide over the ears and are held in place with a light tension from the speaker/microphone units just in front of the ears; the band in back doesn’t touch my head. After a couple of days, I didn’t feel the slight pressure behind the ears. I sometimes forget I’m wearing them if I’ve turned them off. I love not having something IN my ears, especially when I’m listening for extended periods! I wear glasses most of the time and found there was no problem fitting them over my glasses. Friends with longer hair had a little extra challenge putting them on.

The fit is comfortable and secure. I tried shaking my head all around and these didn’t budge. What a great difference from some other in-the-ear wireless earphones that I’ve used that fall out or transmit extraneous sound. For the past month they’ve joined me for my daily commute on foot, bus, and subway; while working on projects around the house and yard, setting up my campsite, and hiking up and down mountains, and biking around the campground. Occasionally the loop behind my head bounces off a pack, but a light touch puts it back in place. It didn’t interfere with a bike helmet. I loved that I could put my phone down and listen to music, books, or podcasts as long as I stayed within about 30’ of the phone before it started cutting out. That meant I could set up my campsite without having to worry about dropping my phone, etc. The button on the left side lets me stop and start the playback with a touch; buttons on the right let me adjust volume or turn it on or off. Turn it on and it announces the battery level.

These are great for times when you are hiking alone, want to enjoy the sounds around you, but would like some additional entertainment or inspiration. My trail this weekend included rumbling brooks, beautiful waterfalls, and fellow hikers…and I could enjoy all of them. They are not great when riding on the old, noisy subway in Boston unless you use the foam earplugs to block external sound. If you turn the volume up too high, you’ll start to feel a slight vibration on your cheek from the headphones. Battery life is substantial, reaching a full charge in a few hours and lasting for at least 8 hours of playback in my experience. And I would love a color other than black for the storage pouch. Finding a black pouch in a black-lined bag is a nightmare! (And no, it doesn’t need to be orange.) Thrilled with these comfortable headphones!

This is such a pretty campground, whether in an RV as we were, or tenting. Our site was Beach Rose 36, which was far enough away from the other RV's to make it private. The site was level and included all hookups, picnic table and firepit. There were amenities galore, clean bath houses, a general store, heated pool, a great play area for the kids, and so much more! The beach and historic area were only a 10 minute drive!! Would definitely go back!
*** Product Review ***
As a Ranger with The Dyrt, I get to test and review products that are of use for campers.
The perfect t-shirt for this trip worn by my sweetie, is a Roanline original. Just the right thickness, with double sewn hem, to keep its shape after washing. The color, dark navy blue, makes it easy to match every type of pants you have! Definitely a 5 star product!

Pillsbury State Park is a great place to get away from it all. There are great hikes that you can get to right from your campsite, connecting to the Monadnock-Sunapee greenway(a 48 mile trail connecting two of NHs beautiful mountains). The park also has great little ponds for exploring by kayak or canoe.
Don’t expect major accommodations at the park, there are spots for campers but smaller ones, and there are a few outhouses but no bathhouse.

I’ll start with the positives- the tent area is is reasonable walking distance to the clean bathrooms, the front desk ladies were lovely and even went out of their way to help me find a certain activity I was looking to do, that was great.
We tent camp, there was one section for tents, and the rest of the property is filled with permanent mobile home and RV installations. A massive amount, it’s a mini city. There were no other tent campers.
We found the $38 price tag steep for just wanting a primitive site but apparently you are charged for water and electric even though you don’t need irntequest it. I would not stay here again however- I didn’t appreciate all 6 nearby dumpsters being emptied between 7-8 AM while we were trying to sleep, and we woke up to 5 ticks crawling all over our tent. I have camped many places for many years and never have I seen so many ticks. Also not a fan of having to pay for a shower, this is an ordinary free offering in most other campgrounds.
We did approach the owner and let them know our experience, we asked for and were given a refund. There was zero natural beauty here for Renter’s- you’re sleeping on a gravel pile with an old metal ring for a fire pit.

This place is a gem. It closes after the first snowfall of the year and will not re open untill it all thaws. But head here in the fall to see the beautiful colors. Outhouse toilet no running water but there are wells to get fresh water. Hiking all over around here.

This was my first visit to the campground. The staff and everyone was friendly. I stayed in the woods and it was great being out in nature. I went in 2018 and this year I am being my sister and nieces. Love the Segway tour and the adventure zip lining and the coaster it’s a fun place and I can’t wait to return.

The Camp Penacook Shelter is a nice stopping point on a moderately difficult hike up to the peak of Mt. Chocorua. As you head up the Piper Trail, as you're nearing the 3 mile mark, it starts to get steep and mostly stone steps. Luckily, right as you begin to tire, the branch for the Spur Trail appears! A little bit down this trail, and boom, you can see the Camp Penacook shelter tucked away in a little clearing with a vista.

This is a 3-sided shelter with a fairly low roof. You could fit one larger tent or two smaller tents, but I highly suggest sleeping in the open air! When I stayed here, there were 7 of us, and we comfortably laid side by side with our packs tucked against the back wall. The roof peaks in the middle, and it was nice to have the extra space in front of the shelter that is still covered by the roof (it was a little drizzly the morning we left). There is a fire pit with a grill rack, but I highly recommend a personal camp stove for reliability.

Back towards the main piper trail is a brook where you can pump water if you have a filter. It can be hard to determine where the bank is if there's still snow on the ground, so be careful! But the proximity of the stream was very convenient. Also nearby the shelter is a pit toilet. There's a social trail down to the toilet which is kind of tough to spot, so make sure you find it in the daylight! And bring your own TP.

The Camp Penacook Shelter is a first-come, first-serve deal, so get there first! It's not really out of the way, so drop your big packs off in the shelter to mark your spot, and then finish the hike to the top with just your water bottle (and camera!). The mile and a half to the summit is scrambles up some slick rock, which can still be icy in spots in the spring. It was very helpful that I removed my pack to do this! The views from the summit are breathtaking, and with a place to sleep not far below, you can stay at the summit as long as you want. This shelter has many amenities for being stuck on the side of a mountain, and I highly recommend making the trip with some friends.

This is a nice little campground for families, especially those looking to check out Story Land which is literally next door. We stayed here for a few days. One bath house and multiple flush out houses around. Pool and playground were great for our little ones. The people running the site were very nice and accommodating. They do wagon rides around the site in the evening too.

Nice campground on a beautiful lake. The camp sites are close but if you are lucky enough to get one out on the island its private but no bathrooms out there. Take a non motorized boat on the lake. Fish and swim.

This is definitely a great area to camp. It’s close to Portland and set on the north end of the lake. The facilities are fairly decent and definitely geared towards families. There are two little beaches attached to the campground which tend to be less busy than the main beaches in the other areas of the park. My biggest recommendation would be to stay on the Naples Beach end of the campground as it’s a bit quieter. We’ve stayed here multiple times as a family and it’s a great location.

This is what I would call camping for those that still want all the comforts of a resort, which is exactly what this place is. There a few tent sites and some RV sites, but Point Sebago is mainly full of their “cabins.” The “cabins” can be rented too. The sites have water and electricity which is nice and you have access to many of the resort amenities, of which there are lots. It wasn’t may favorite place to camp, but it wouldn’t be bad for families just starting to get into camping.

I stayed at Hancock campground in mid April this year. Great clean accessible bathrooms, beautiful grounds and large campgrounds. Leashed dogs are allowed. There are both walk-in and drive up tent sites. The walk-in sites are directly next to the beautiful Pemi River. Great overall would return again.